Quick facts
- UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland believes Yaroslav Amosov has a better ground game than Khamzat Chimaev.
- Strickland trained with Amosov at American Top Team in Florida, as part of Johnny Eblen’s camp.
- Strickland had beaten Chimaev by decision at UFC 328 in May, after Chimaev gassed out as early as round two.
- Amosov, a former Bellator champion, remains undefeated in the UFC with two submission wins since signing.
Want to know who, according to the reigning champion himself, has the best ground game in the UFC middleweight division? Sean Strickland has a ready answer, and it is not exactly flattering for his most recent opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, whom he nonetheless dominated in their title fight this spring.
A compliment with a sting
Always quick to praise his training partners, Sean Strickland took the chance to slip in a jab at Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC middleweight champion is currently helping Johnny Eblen prepare for his next fight at American Top Team in Florida, the same gym where Ukrainian welterweight Yaroslav Amosov trains. After several rounds of grappling with him, Strickland did not hold back on his conclusion: “He’s got a better guard than Chimaev,” he said after the session. Amosov, for his part, responded with a smile on his YouTube channel, describing Strickland as a “hard partner, hard champion, but crazy, funny, and crazy.” A way, for the Ukrainian, of confirming the easygoing relationship between the two men despite the comparison being less than flattering for Chimaev.
Chimaev, dominated by Strickland at UFC 328
This jab makes full sense in light of Strickland’s last fight, contested just over two months ago. A massive underdog against Khamzat Chimaev in their middleweight title fight at UFC 328 this past May, the American nonetheless made the difference: gassed out as early as round two, Chimaev had to abandon his wrestling-based style, letting Strickland take over on the feet all the way to the judges’ decision. A scenario few saw coming, given how dominant a wrestler Chimaev was presented as before that title fight, which explains why his name now comes up in a comparison that does not work in his favor.
Amosov, a meteoric rise since Bellator
Yaroslav Amosov, for his part, continues a successful transition to the UFC. The Ukrainian left Bellator MMA after the only loss of his career, suffered against Jason Jackson in 2023, while he reigned over the organization’s welterweight division. Starting back at square one on the regional circuit, he quickly landed a UFC contract and has not lost either of his two fights in the organization since, both ending by submission. His latest outing, a submission win over Joel Alvarez, actually took place on the undercard of the Chimaev-Strickland fight, proof that the promotion is already following his progress closely and is lining up strong cards to keep showcasing him.
Training in service of a PFL champion
The context of this session is also worth spelling out: Sean Strickland is not just fine-tuning his own preparation at American Top Team, he is also lending a hand to Johnny Eblen, PFL light heavyweight champion, who fights on July 18 at PFL Austin. A cross-promotion assist that illustrates how deep the pool of champions and contenders runs at this Florida gym, where Yaroslav Amosov also trains.
What to take away
Beyond the one-liner, this exchange says a lot about how Strickland is assessing the competition ahead of his next title defenses, with Chimaev precisely among the contenders hoping for a rematch. It also confirms Amosov’s upward trajectory, already regarded by his own training partner as a benchmark on the ground in the division. It remains to be seen whether Chimaev will respond publicly to this unflattering comparison, given that he is aiming for a rematch to reclaim the belt he lost to Strickland.
The rest of the season is laid out on the 2026 UFC calendar. French fighters under contract are listed on the French UFC fighters page.
